Hi all

Am just trying to get into the working week and have been pondering what question to ask you all for the chatroom piece in the July issue.

Sue Simms has written me an hilarious piece about a client complaint with a twist (you'll have to wait until the July issue for the specifics), but it has got me thinking about how you guys deal with client complaints.

* Have you got any weird and wonderful stories of more unusual complaints and how you dealt with them?
* What are your top tips on remaining calm in the face of adversity (ie... when you could throttle the person who came up with the old adage 'the customer's always right')

As always, please include your full (real) name and name of your business in any reply you make so I can publish your comments in the mag and credit them properly.

Feel free to pm me or drop me an email at kathrynh@tradesexhibitions.com - it makes me feel wanted!!

Ta muchly

Kat
xxxx
Editor
Professional Nails

Hiya

While spray tanning a client one day she asked "how much do you pay for your fresh air"
I was puzzled
I think she was talking about the compressor
Jenx

I have, thankfully never had a complaint - presumably the fact they dont come back is in itself a complaint LOL.

I had one lady though who could not keep her nails on - almost every time she came she neded a new set. I regularly drummed into her about using the Solaroil and she promised one time that she would use it faithfully. Next appointment she arrived onyx intacto (all nails on to you and me LOL). She said look at these, I think I should get a discount. I replied, OK I will give you a discount, I will only charge for a rebalance rather than your usual full set. LOL

Hi Kat,

I work full time as mobile and I was close to slapping this client but what can you do when they are adamant?

This particular lady phoned me up to say that she would like to start getting her nails done by someone who knew what they were doing (her exact words) as she wasn't happy with the salon she was going to, I booked her in for her infills and while I was doing the consultation at her appointment I got to the Nail Shape question. I asked her what nail shape she would like and she looked at me as if I had something green growing on my face and in a very sarcastic tone said, "the shape they are!" I very calmly said, "and what shape are they" trying not to laugh! Again she said, "the Shape they are!" I told her very nicely that they wern't a shape and that all ten of her nails were a different shape to the next one. She was adamant and said, "no they aren't, and this is the shape I want you to make them!" After a painful five minutes, I was expecting her to just tell me to pack my things and leave. I then took 2 very deep breaths and said, "Right, pretend this is your first ever nail appointment and I ask you what your favourite shape is, what are you going to say?" She said, "in between square and round" Result! I then asked her if I could show her before I start her nails what in between sqaure and round is and she agreed. She apologised profusley! I ended with, "you wanted someone who knew what they were doing remember? She blushed and to this day has never disagreed with another word I've said.

In our case Kat I don't think the customer is always right, maybe I'm wrong but I've been proven right on more than one occasion with my clients.

Rose Timms
The Beauty Preference

xxxxx

This isn't really a complaint, but it reminded me of a particular client. she was a severe nail biter and over time managed to get out of her cannabilistic tendencies and her nails were coming along very nicely. When she arrived for her next appointment, i am holding her hand (stupidly prior to sanitising!) checking her nails to see if she had been behaving herself, when she said " Sorry Sue, i need to have them soaked off" The reason being....she had boils on her bum and was having trouble squeezing them!

Although not really suitable for your P.N. topic kat, I Just thought i would share that with you all, lol!

EEEWWW!!!!!.........LOL ...I have had clients that were right and some that were wrong....mostly wrong though .....

Urrrrrgh!!!!
PMSL!!!!
I am not a tech but one day I was sat in dads salon and he had a tech in there with this lady who said that she was having her nails done for her birthday present.
As I was sitting in the reception area, talking to the staff, I over heard this lady ask "so what do you do with all the dust after you've filed? Do you scape it together and put it back in the pot with the other powder because I imagine its expensive?"
Haha, I nearly fell off my chair and the nail tech could hardly keep a straight face as she replied no of course not!
Haha